English as a Second Language (ESL)
NCDPI Curriculum and Instruction Division/ESL website provides instructional resource information for students identified as limited English proficient.

Information on the Current Test Used for English Language Proficiency: 2008-09 School Year and Beyond

World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium
In June 2008, the North Carolina State Board of Education approved the adoption of the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium English language proficiency standards beginning with the 2008–09 school year. The WIDA Consortium is comprised of states who share English language standards and assessments that are aligned to those standards.

Additional information regarding the WIDA Consortium, its standards, and assessments can be found on the Consortium’s home page at http://www.wida.us/index.aspx

WIDA Placement Test (W-APT ™)
The WIDA Placement Test or W-APT is the assessment used in North Carolina for initial identification and placement of students identified as limited English proficient (LEP).

Federal and state policies require that all K-12 students identified as language minority students through the Home Language Survey process upon initial enrollment be assessed for limited English language proficiency. The state instrument for identification of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students is the WIDA Access Placement Test (W-APT). The identification and the subsequent placement of LEP students in ESL services are guided at the state level by the NCDPI Curriculum and Instruction Division.

Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs®) Information
The ACCESS for ELLs is the annual assessment used in North Carolina to satisfy federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements for Title III.

The AMAOs are related to the development and attainment of English language proficiency for limited English proficient students. In accordance with Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Schools Education Act (NCLB) the NCDPI is required to develop annual measurable achievement objectives for these students.

Testing Students Identified as Limited English Proficient Advisory CommitteeThe purpose of the Testing Students Identified as Limited English Proficient Advisory Committee is to provide recommendations to the NCDPI regarding issues, policies, procedures, and guidelines related to the assessment and accountability of students identified as limited English proficient.